Poland Syndrome Awareness Day Date in the current year: April 30, 2025

Poland syndrome is named after Sir Alfred Poland, a 19th century British surgeon who gave the first account of the syndrome in his 1841 paper describing the dissected body of a deceased convict named George Elt, who had a chest wall deformity and an underdeveloped webbed hand. However, it can’t be said that Poland actually described the syndrome because his article only described an isolated case. It was New Zealand-born plastic surgeon Patrick Clarkson who first noticed that it was indeed a syndrome.

In 1962, while working at Guy’s Hospital in London, Clarkson noticed that three of his patients had both a hand deformity (syndactyly) and an underdeveloped breast on the same side. He read Poland’s article, which described similar abnormalities and included illustrations of the head, neck, and chest deformities, but not the hand. Clarkson was able to find the preserved dissected hand of George Elt in the museum at Guy’s Hospital, described his three cases in an article, and coined the term “Poland syndactyly”. A few years later it was renamed Poland syndrome.

The main symptoms of Poland syndrome are underdeveloped or missing pectoral muscles and webbed, shortened or missing fingers – all on one side, usually the right. There may also be less fat, short ribs, underdeveloped or missing breast tissue, and a missing nipple on the same side. These abnormalities usually do not restrict movement or cause health problems, although their severity can vary from patient to patient.

Poland syndrome is a rare birth defect that affects approximately 1 in 20,000 newborns; males are twice as likely to be affected as females. Its cause is unknown; the most accepted theory is that it may be caused by a disruption in blood flow during embryonic development. The symptoms may not be very obvious at birth; some people with the syndrome may not realize they have it until they reach puberty when the deformities become more apparent.

Many mild cases of Poland syndrome do not require medical attention. The most common treatment for more severe cases is reconstructive surgery, which uses existing pectoral muscles or muscles from other parts of the body to rebuild the chest. Silicone implants to replace the missing muscle and/or breast tissue are also an option. Surgery to correct bone deformities on the affected side (including ribs and hand and finger bones) may also be recommended.

Poland Syndrome Awareness Day was created to raise public awareness of the syndrome and to support affected individuals. You can gent involved by learning more about the syndrome and sharing what you’ve learned with others, donating to an organization that helps people affected by Poland syndrome, and spreading the word on social media using the hashtag #PolandSyndromeAwarenessDay.